American Pie
Keith Ross
November 22, 2016
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Joel 2:28-32
The Day of the Lord
28 “And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days
Long long time ago the song begins. American Pie is a tune that has been with me for five decades. In each era it has meant something different and seems to pop up at the most unexpected of times. In my teens it was the ultimate party sing-a-long with a chorus anyone can sing. In my 20s I loved rye whiskey and once drove an American Chevy (Chevrolet), my formative balladeer period. I visited the United States throughout my thirties and said goodbye many times to my eldest daughter. During my 40s I discovered the 8 minutes 33 second version and the music didn’t die but sounded just as good. Don Mclean has always refused to give an explanation to the lyrics only admitting that the song is a tribute to Buddy Holly. In the extended version the religious analogues are both obvious and obtuse. ‘And the three men I admire most, The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. They caught the last train for the coast. The day the music died, And they were singing…..’ – enjoy and sing.
www.sanctuaryfirst.org.uk/audio
Prayer
Lord be with me all the days of my life and speak to me whatever age I am. Use the mental pictures, choruses, and the sense of enjoyment in song to bring us cheer and happiness. To energize us in ways that only music can. To offer us a perspective on life that enthuses, laments, makes us jig and causes a movement in the soul.
May the contrasts of each generation, the layers of experience, and the illumination of the Spirit- add to my understanding of You, Lord.
For in both tune and lyric I find a deeper path to life. A meaning of youthfulness that I have forgotten and maybe clarity of understanding that only experience brings.
How I long for the sensations of the musicality to build up a faith, with its many questions, doubts and needs. To feel Your presence gently prompting me into actions of love and commitment as we dance to the melodies of Your kingdom.
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